Kevin Harvick Set to Retire After 2023 Season

by
Peter Stratta
January 12, 2023

Photo Credit to Sean Gardner/Getty Images for NASCAR

2014 NASCAR Champion Kevin Harvick will Retire Following 2023

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Past NASCAR Cup Series champion and 60-time winner Kevin Harvick announced Thursday that 2023 will be his last ride. Gearing up for his 23rd season at stock car racing’s highest level, Harvick is a legend in every sense of the word. Taking over at Richard Childress Racing after Dale Earnhardt’s passing in 2001, Harvick found near-immediate success, winning in his third career start. Over two decades later now, Harvick is ready for the next chapter of his life.

“There is absolutely nothing else in the world that I enjoy doing more than going to the racetrack, and I’m genuinely looking forward to this season,” said Harvick. “But as I’ve gone through the years, I knew there would come a day where I had to make a decision. When would it be time to step away from the car?

“I’ve sought out people and picked their brains. When I asked them when they knew it was the right time, they said it’ll just happen, and you’ll realize that’s the right moment. You’ll make a plan and decide when it’s your last year.

“It’s definitely been hard to understand when that right moment is because we’ve been so fortunate to run well. But sometimes there are just other things going on that become more important and, for me, that time has come.”

Hitting 60 career victories last August at Richmond, Harvick is tied for ninth-most all-time NASCAR Cup wins. He is also tied for most Playoff appearances at 16, with a chance at one more run. Harvick’s ‘4EVER’ retirement tour will kick off in a matter of weeks. The Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will be Harvick’s first outing in the No. 4 (February 5th), followed by the 65th Daytona 500 on February 19th.